Spicy Mojitos!

Some like it hot – and I definitely do! I have always been a big fan of adding some spice to food (although I don’t like adding too much because the meal still needs to be enjoyable!). Just think of it as added flavour! A bottle of Frank’s Red Hot or Tabasco is a staple on our dinner table.

I also have a fierce love of mojitos. Imagine my delight when we sat down for dinner at a restaurant in Cape Town in March and I saw Spicy Mojitos on the menu!! For realz! It was one of those moments when you just slam the menu shut because you know exactly what you are going to order and you know for certain that there cannot be anything else on the menu that would make you change your mind!

I put these refreshingly spicy (??) drinks in the back of my mind and decided to make them this week since it has been unbearably hot outside!

They are not much different from basic mojitos, with the only additional ingredient being red hot chili peppers. The part that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE about these mojitos is that they are still extremely refreshing, but the aftertaste has a bit of a kick to it. It kinda wakes up your mouth a little bit while still hydrating and cooling you down!

Wanna give them a shot?

You will also need one of these awesome mojito muddlers. I know – a utensil specifically for making mojitos! You may recognize it from Revel’s blog header (in a picture taken at our wedding). Of course, if you don’t have a muddler you can use a wooden spoon too!

Throw the mint, sugar and limes into your glas and use the muddler to, well…. muddle it together. It will get nice and juicy from the limes. As far as measurements go I say go on personal taste and preference!

Next you can pour in the white rum and top up with club soda and ice.

Ok, time to add the heat! These little chili peppers pack a lot of it! I cut up only one chili pepper and split it between two mojitos. You can do even less if you want. Remember, it is the pepper flakes that carry the bulk of the heat. Oh, and wash your hands right after cutting the pepper, because you will not want to accidentally touch your eyes, nose or mouth with our hands (as I learned a few years ago – Yikes!)

For the last step I just added a couple of extra chili peppers (NOT cut) and slices of lime for garnish to make it look pretty – because I’m into pretty 🙂

I have to say here that I know know not everyone is a fan of spice. Well, rest assured because you bunch of weirdos can easily make these mojitos without the chili peppers. Was that too harsh? Im sorry – it’s HOT out! You can even make mojitos without alcohol too if you so fancy! It will still be wonderfully refreshing!

How about you – can you handle some heat? What other mojitos have you had? I had a lovely mango mojito in New York and I may just have to try making those next!